now democratic leaders are elated. >> elections have consequences. the president campaigned, he made it very clear -- he made it very clear that he was supporting a tax cut for the middle class, that he wanted the expiration of the tax cuts for the high end. >> reporter: and at the end of the day, joe, that is still the most significant, the biggest stumbling block on the road to the fiscal cliff, that difference between tax rates for the wealthiest americans. and what house democrats announced they're going to try to do is an end run around the house gop to try to file a petition in order to try to push a vote on the house floor to just raise taxes -- excuse me, to just extend the bush-era tax rates for middle class americans. but to do that, as you know, they need 218 votes and there's still a very sizable republican majority in the house. it will be difficult for democrats to do that. >> absolutely. and that proposal to take away what has been historically a congressional prerogative was a little bit surprising even to people who have been reading